After an impressive inaugural year, the annual Hobnobben Film Festival is back and more eclectic than ever before. That’s a good thing too, because even more so than the year prior, the festival has such a generous offering for film buffs to devour and a handful of community based gatherings to stumble upon for those casually walking around downtown. Make no mistake about it – your June 15th through the 18th should be spent near and around the Main Street area to watch movies, celebrate the city, and experience one of the most unique film festivals in the entire region. I was privileged to serve as a member of the 5 person jury for this year’s crop of movies, which altogether added up to 47 entries in every category except for the headlining “Eye-Opening” films. As someone who has seen just about all the festival has to offer, I have to say that you’re in for a treat. especially when you factor in all of the extra events Hobnobben has in store over the course of the weekend. Thursday night gives filmgoers a chance to meet and greet at the opening night gathering. Friday evening is be dedicated to Blocknobben in the Arts United Plaza featuring food trucks, local vendors, and live music. The night is capped off by an outdoor screening of the ’07 Coen Brother’s classic film, No Country for Old Men, accompanied by a live score. Saturday is the most loaded and diverse day of the weekend, featuring the Awards Ceremony at the Arts United Center as well as two Sound & Shadow Redux showings of classic silent films. As for the last day, there are four wide-ranging and well-received pictures to enjoy at the Cinema Center. The festival program is available in digital format and can be downloaded at Hobnobben.org. Two breakouts from this year’s Sundance Film Festival – Dina and The Hero – both screen on Thursday and are must-sees for the weekend. I’d also recommend Lemon, One Week and a Day, and Lost in Paris. On Saturday afternoon there is the “Class Act” collection of student made short films, and they are a mightily impressive group. The same goes for the “Short Haul” and the “Hoosier Spirit Showcase.” Some of the very best entries in this year’s festival were short films either made locally, by up-and-coming talents, or from universities around the state. I’ll be reviewing the big “Eye-Opening” films on my personal website LoganBushey.com, but make sure to check out the smaller offerings on the schedule as well; some of them are truly outstanding. If you happen to be downtown grabbing a meal on a patio or sharing a drink with friends,...

Looking for fun things to do in Fort Wayne? Look no further! LFW compiles a list of ongoings and events that we’re excited about every week! This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you don’t quite see what you’re looking for, check out our events calendar. If you’d like to see your event featured in the Weekly Fun File, or added to our events calendar, let us know! Email us at info@livingfortwayne.com or you can go ahead and submit your event to our calendar! Click on the event for more information about times, locations, cost, etc. 1. Hobnobben Film Festival Thursday June 16 through Sunday June 19, Times Vary It’s here! Different films, different venues, lots of fun. For complete time and venue information check out their website. 2. Rib Fest Thursday June 16 through Sunday June 19, 11:30 am-9 pm BBQ? Brew? Music? Bring the family and have some pig-out fun this weekend! 3. Creative Cocktails: Hobnobben Film Festival Friday June 17 at 5 pm Meet up at Main Street Bistro before the Hobnobben Block Party and free outdoor screening of ‘Dazed and Confused.’ 4. 07 Summerfest Friday June 17, 6 pm-9 pm It’s a great time with art, food, wonderful people, and a night of fundraising for the ’07. 5. Sweetwater GearFest Friday June 17 and Saturday June 18 The largest music gear trade show that is open to the general public in the U.S. and it’s in Fort Wayne, music lovers, don’t miss this! 6. SCAN Duck Race Saturday June 18 at 7 pm Plenty of family fun, and the fantastic duck race all benefitting a wonderful organization in our community! SCAN does really important things, support them, learn what they do, and have a great time! 7. CityExchange Father’s Day Sale Saturday June 18, 11 am-6 pm Have you purchased your Father’s Day gift yet? Confession: I have not. I’ll be there Saturday … sometimes procrastinating is the way to go! 8. Northern Indiana Pet Expo Saturday June 18 and Sunday June 19, 11 am-4 pm Pets, pets, pets! I love this expo every year. Check out the local organizations doing great things for our beloved pets, meet some puppies, watch a few presentations, and have a good time! 9. Fort4Fitness Kids Marathon Kickoff Monday June 20, 3 pm-7 pm There will be fun activities for the family! Kids ages 4-10 can sign up for $10 and they get t-shirts, goodie...

With a revitalized downtown movement and an emerging art culture, Fort Wayne’s first official film festival could not be arriving at a better time. Named Hobnobben after the word for mixing together socially, the festival sets out to represent the eclectic and diverse tastes that the Midwest has to offer. Award-winning independents, low-budget features, documentaries, shorts, locally produced work — there’s a little bit of something for everyone! Taking place from June 16th through the evening of the 19th, Hobnobben includes 29 different showings. The majority of the films will be shown at the Cinema Center, while others will be shown at the Parkview Physicians Group ArtsLab, the University of Saint Francis Arts Center, and the Arts United Center. Two separate showcases will highlight student work and productions from Indiana natives. There will be panels, discussions, and workshops for filmmakers, and that’s what makes the inaugural year so encouraging. The festival concludes in an awards ceremony on Saturday night in the ballroom of the USF Performing Arts Center. This is a festival that allows itself to be shaped and molded into whatever suits you best. Want to see 2015’s Palm d’Or winner from the lauded Cannes Film Festival? You’re in luck. Interested in seeing some television pilots? The hour-long Philo Fest at the ArtsLab is just for you. You can plan your night around seeing a different film each day. For Thursday, I’d suggest Other People, a story starring SNL alum Molly Shannon in a role that’s been getting rave reviews. Pencil in your Friday night to attend Lo and Behold, Reveries of a Connected World by acclaimed documentarian Werner Herzog. Saturday has the weekend’s biggest crop to choose from, but I’d steer attendees towards Little Men. And as for Sunday, your best bet to cap off the festival is Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The impressive schedule can be found in full on Hobnobben’s website. By keeping the festival centralized to the downtown area, Hobnobben hopes to draw in crowds from near and far not just to enjoy movies, but to really get out and explore the city. Fort Wayne has a lot to offer and the festival serves as a meeting point for residents to come together in an appreciation of the arts. So whether or not you’re a big movie buff doesn’t matter. Go see that foreign film that’s out of your comfort zone. Check out some of the fine work done by local students and filmmakers. Then afterwards, grab a bite to eat or stop in somewhere for a drink. True to its name, Hobnobben wants people to try new things and to go new places. It certainly seems to be off to a promising start. Hobnobben Film Festival June 16th-19th. Showtimes vary. Cinema...

The Hobnobben Film Festival, a multi-day, multi-verse event, will be the first of its kind in Fort Wayne. We have never had a film festival before and I had the chance to interview Jonah Crismore, executive director of Cinema Center, about the Hobnobben festivities. In celebration of Cinema Center’s 40th anniversary, Jonah hopes that this festival will highlight major talent in our city and inspire others to make and submit future films. For filmmakers on the fence about submitting a film to Hobnobben, Jonah says just “do it”. There are many categories ranging from social justice documentaries to low-budget zombie films. Jonah states that he would like to see this festival be a platform for a filmmaker’s career to begin. Cinema Center, in partnership with Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne and the University of Saint Francis, will be screening short and feature length films shot by Fort Wayne locals. The venues for this festival include Cinema Center, Arts United Center, Arts United Parkview Physicians Group, ArtsLab Theater, and the University of Saint Francis Performing Arts Center. It will take place from June 16 to June 19, 2016. In addition to featuring local filmmaker’s work, there will also be panel discussions, meet and greet opportunities, and Q+A sessions. He hopes to help educate the audience over the process of filmmaking and make them active and aware film viewer. Hobnobben Film Festival is looking for volunteers to help make this festival a success! Email volunteer@hobnobben.org to fill out an application. Don’t miss Northeast Indiana’s first BIG film...